Passage Based Questions: English - 18 | Passage Based Questions for CLAT Preparation PDF Download

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Most of the biggest economies on earth, such as China, USA and European nations have banned plastic bags. The nations that have not done it yet should also follow suit. Some of the concerns raised are that people will lose their sources of livelihood and that plastic bags are cheaper to produce. While these notions are far from false, the fact remains that plastic bags will destroy our environment and everything in it if we do not act now. When plastic bags are banned everywhere, innovators will come up with other alternatives. They will create companies and people will get employment as a result. When we consider production costs, the plastic bag is cheaper and easier to produce than eco-friendly bags.
However, plastic bags are not durable and undergo wear and tear very easily. In fact, we quickly discard them into our garbage bins as soon as we reach home. Eco-friendly bags, such as cotton bags are actually very durable and can washed and reused over and over again. They are actually cheaper in the long run, because they do not require government intervention to clear them from the streets. They easily decay and disappear from the face of the earth. It is actually absurd to spend money to produce something that will cost you more than three times its value to try and get rid of it. Banning is probably the surest way of securing the future for the coming generations. All nations should have one voice and agree unanimously to stop plastic bag production. It is worth noting that plastic bags from one nation are enough to pollute the whole world. So, if the developed nations have banned plastic bags, but developing nations are still producing them, then that changes nothing. Still all the toxic waste will find its way to the oceans and eventually, to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Educating or sensitizing people about the hazards of plastic will not help deal with the problem in developing nations. They will most definitely use them still. And it is not an issue of ignorance or arrogance, because they can see and smell the garbage heaps next to their homesteads. The issue is cost. Most people in developed nations live below poverty line. They cannot afford to spend any more money on environmental friendly bags. So, the best approach is banning. It should be illegal to own or even carry plastic bags. Heavy penalties should be imposed on anyone found with plastic bags. Even though they will still exist in the black markets, they should be so expensive to the point that people will prefer eco-friendly bags to plastic bags. The governments should also step ahead and offer subsidies and incentives to companies creating eco-friendly bags. The governments should also fund extensive experimentation and researches on better alternatives to all plastic forms and not just plastic bags to end the manufacture of all plastics completely. There should also be extensive researches on the best method of dealing with the heaps of plastic wastes piled all over the world. We cannot just assume that there is no elephant in the room. The waste has to be dealt with pronto or its toxicity will become airborne. We need to get rid of all plastic wastes forever.